High-capacity spring-gear.



J. F. OCONNOR. HIGH CAPACITY SPRING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. l 1916.

N www @j NS ,m 1 {LMTToRNEY Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Q JNVENToR. J/mF/zfwf BY C WNITEU @dilitffm FAIEFI JOHN' F. OCONNOR, `0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE TO WILLIAM H. MIN'HER, 0F

CHAZY, NEW YORK.

HIGH-CAPACITY SPRING-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 11913.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. OCoNNoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at` Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in High-Capacity Spring-Gears, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in high capacity spring gears.

@ne object of this invention is to provide a spring gear of higher capacity than those now in use and which may be employed in car constructions of standard design and sill spacing. g

Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient high capacity spring gear of relatively cheap construction, composed of few parts easily manufactured and assembled and disassembled.

The invention furthermore consists in iinprovements in the parts and devices and in the novel combinations of the parts land devices herein shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing forming a part of this specication, Figure 1 is a longitudinal, central vertical section of a draft rigging for railway cars showing my improvement in connection therewith. Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse vertical sectional views of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 and taken substantially on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively. And Fig. 4 is an elevational view of one of the followers.

In said drawing, 10-10 denote draft members or center sills which in the form shown comprise outwardly turned channels spaced the standard distance apart, to-wit, 12% inches. Secured to said draft members are rear stop lugs 11 and front stop lugs 12. The draft gear proper comprises a front follower 13, rear follower 14 and three springs 15, 16 and 17,' each of said springs, as usual, comprising an outer heavy coil 18 and an inner nested lighter coil 19. Each of the followers is provided on its inner face with three bosses 20, 21 and 22, the same being located at the angles of an imaginary isosceles triangle with the upper boss 20 at the top of the triangle. The springs are seated on their respective bosses to maintain the springs in proper position. The draw-bar 23 is operatively connected with the gear by means of a yoke designated enerall b the reference A. As shown, theigyoke Aycon)j sists of a single arm having the, cross sec tion clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. rlhe arm of the yoke has an upstanding vertical web 24 and bottom` outwardly extending flanges 25 and 26, the design being suoli that curved seats 27-27 are provided for the lower springs 16 and 17. The upper edge of the vertical flange 21 .is also curved as indicated at 28 to thereby form a seat forthe spring 15. In order to lighten the yoke, the metal may be cut away as indicated at 29 on the underside. At the rear end, the yoke A is provided with a vertical iaiige 30 which engages against tlie rear side of the follower 14, said flange being braced by ribs 31*31 at each side. At its front end, the yoke A is provided with a vertical wall 32 and on the front thereof is provided a substantially rectangular pocket 33 in which is adapted to be received the butt of the draw-bar 23. The side walls of the yoke A at the front end are extended forwardly as indicated at 34h-34, said walls being slotted to receive the transversely extending coupler key 35, which also extends through corresponding slots in the front lugs 12 and draft sills 10. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, each of the followers is recessed on its lower face as indicated at 36 to correspond with and fit over the arm of the yoke. It will also be noted that fillets 37 are provided at the ends of the yoke between the horizontal arm thereof and the vertical flanges 30 and 32, the followers being suitably curved to t said fillets as indicated at 38 -38. The yoke, springs and followers are suitably supported by a saddle plate 39 bolted to the lower ianges of the draft sills and in order to prevent upward buckling of the spring 15, a suitable transversely extending plate 40 may be used, the saine being riveted to the sills. As shown, each of the springs 15, 16 and 17 is of a well known commercial. form 5% inches in outside diameter and of 35,000 lbs. capacity each. With the triangular arrangement of the springs, as shown, it is apparent that the springs7 followers and yoke may be placed in the space usually provided between sills 12@ inches apart and having a. depth of not over 12 inches, while at the same time the capacity of the gear approximates 105,000 lbs. It will also be noted that the resultant force applied to the gear in either bud or draft is in a line of the altitude above the horizontal base line of the imaginary triangle formed bythe axes of the three springs which brings it wlthrn the vertical flange 24 of the yoke. In this way, the yoke is made exceedlngly efectlve and may be formed with a relatively small amount of metal. The gear is exceedingly compact while at the same time having a higher` capacity than any spring gears heretofore on the market, so far as I am aware, and which could be employed `in car construct-'ions of standard design and spacmg. It is a lso obvious that the construction is relatively Cheap to manufacture; the draw-bar and yoke may be readily disconnected by removing the key 35; and the parts of the gear may be readily assembled and disassembled whenever necessary.

Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred embodiment of my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

' I claim:

1. In a railway draft rigging, the combiu nation with a pair of draft sills spaced apart a predetermined distance and of a predetermined height, of three coiled springs each having the same diameter arranged in triangular formation with one side of the formation extending horizontally, the length of said horizontal side Corresponding substantially to said space between the sills and the height of the formation approximating the height of the sills, the diameter of said springs being such that at least one spring tending between said followers, said springs A being arranged in the form of a triangle, and a yo e having a vertical flange and two horizontal flanges, said yoke extending beneath said springs, the resultant stress being in line with said vertically extending flange of the yoke.

4:. As an article of manufacture, a yoke for draft gears, said yoke comprising an arm having parallel spring seats on the upper face thereof with an intervening vertical flange, said yoke having upstanding flanges at each end thereof adapted to engage followers.

5. As an article of manufacture, a cast yoke for draft riggings having a hooded forward end within which is adapted to be received a draw-bar butt, a horizontally extending single arm, the latter having an upstanding rear portion adapted to engage a follower, said arm being provided with spring seats on the upper face thereof.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of Feb., 1916.

JOHN F. OCONNOR. 

